A Night On The Town
by M. Scott Eiland
Summary: Faith and Xander decide to try the dating thing. Romance, revelations, and of course mayhem follow.
1. Default Chapter

Summary: Faith and Xander decide to try the dating thing. Romance, revelations, and (of course) mayhem follow. Follow-up to "The Manchurian Slayer."  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters portrayed here, they remain the property of their respective owners/creators.  
  
Rating: PG-13, for violence and language.  
  
Time Frame: Post - "The Zeppo" and in an alternate timeline established in my earlier story "The Manchurian Slayer."  
  
Archiving: Be my guest, but e-mail me (eilandesq@aol.com) to let me know. . .I like to know where stuff I write ends up and I might want to see what else you've got.  
  
  
A NIGHT ON THE TOWN  
  
  
Part I  
  
  
"Have you got all of that down. . .good. Faith and I don't like to repeat ourselves. . .all right, Wesley will be on the next plane to England, and I strongly suggest that you either give Giles his job back or send someone else who can punch his way out of a wet paper bag and who won't try to sell us out the first time a demon threatens his kneecaps. . .all right? If not, you guys can find another hobby until the next new Slayer pops up somewhere. . .and I think that Faith and I will have a fairly good life expectancy. . .got it? Okay, ba-bye." Buffy placed the receiver in the cradle gently, then stalked out of Giles' office and glared at the visibly humiliated Wesley as he packed up his things and left the library without saying a word to anyone.   
  
Giles had said very little as Buffy and Faith took charge of the situation after the group had rescued Giles and Wesley from the demon Balthazar. They had heard his fumbling attempts to give up the location of the amulet, then together with Angel, Xander, Oz, and Willow, they had made short work of the Eliminati vampires and Buffy had delivered the coup de grace by electrocuting the repulsive Balthazar. Afterwards, Buffy (with occasional input from Faith) had verbally eviscerated Wesley and informed him that there was no way in hell that they would ever listen to a damned thing he had to say ever again. Giles had almost felt pity for the poor bastard as the Slayers crushed his will to resist, and he said nothing as Buffy and Faith called the Council and delivered a scathing report on Wesley's actions. The Council had agreed to recall Wesley for questioning, and by the time Buffy hung up Giles had the feeling that the Council would be looking at recent events somewhat more closely than they had up to that moment.  
  
Buffy glared at the closed library door for a few minutes while everyone else remained silent. Abruptly, she turned to the others and smiled, commenting, "Well, that was fun. . .Faith, I'm taking off. . .see you at the house. Willow, I'll walk you and Oz home. Later, Giles, Xander." She walked out, Oz and Willow waving to the remaining occupants of the room as they departed. Giles looked at Faith and Xander and commented, "Well, we've certainly had a busy day. . .I need to get some paperwork finished. . .but I suggest that you two call it a night. See you tomorrow." He walked into his office and closed the door, leaving Faith and Xander alone.  
  
Xander turned to Faith, about to tell her good night and head home, when he noticed Faith's expression: she looked stressed, and as if she wanted to tell him something. He grinned and asked, "Something on your mind, Faith?"  
  
The Slayer grinned back and replied, "Yeah. . .I'm seriously stressed, and I think I need a serious change of pace from the Slaying routine. . .remember the conversation we had the night the Hellmouth opened?" Xander nodded. . .that night was quite prominent in his memory. Faith continued, "I think it's time we did something about what we talked about."  
  
Xander paused for a long moment, considering Faith's words, then nodded again: "All right, Faith. I'm game. What do you have in mind?"  
  
* * *  
  
"A DATE?!"  
  
Buffy winced at the tone and volume of Willow's incredulous question. She gave her best friend a dirty look and commented, "A little louder, Will: the Master couldn't hear you in Hell."   
  
Willow looked abashed for a moment, then her face turned unpleasant again as she whispered, "What do you mean Xander and Faith are going out on a date?"  
  
Buffy sighed: this was not going to be easy. "Remember how we found out what Xander was up to while we were closing the Hellmouth?"  
  
Willow nodded and winced: between what Faith had told them and Angel receiving odd reports from his information sources around town, they had pieced together a fairly thorough description of Xander's hectic evening. . .their master plan to keep Xander alive while they dealt with the Apocalypse had almost backfired fatally for Xander. Buffy continued, "Well, after Xander finished saving Faith's ass, they went back to her room and talked for a little while. The bottom line was, from what I've been able to follow from Faith and Xander talking around the subject a lot, is that Xander told her that he didn't just want to be one of the guys she fooled around with and then walked out on, and Faith told him that she didn't have a problem with that, but that she wanted to change her life, and that going out on a normal, everyday date with him seemed like a pretty good way to start. He agreed."  
  
Willow smiled at the description of Xander's reaction, then frowned again as she looked towards the stairs. Faith had moved into the Summers' guest bedroom two days after the defeat of the Sisterhood of Jhe: Buffy and Giles had decided that enough was enough, and that Faith was not going to spend any more time isolated in that rat-trap hotel the Council had been putting her up in. Upon hearing their suggestion, Faith had playfully suggested that she move in with Giles: this suggestion was immediately vetoed by Buffy and a visibly uncomfortable Giles on grounds of living space and propriety. Buffy had gone to her mother and suggested the idea of Faith moving in; unsurprisingly, Joyce Summers was thrilled at the idea, and had refused Faith's offer to give her the money the Council was sending her for motel rent. It was Faith's entry in a visibly upbeat mood, followed by her heading upstairs "to get ready" that had prompted Willow's questioning and Buffy's hesitant answer that told Willow what Buffy had known since that morning.  
  
"So Xander's going to be here in a little while. . .and they're going to go out just like that?" Willow asked, her curiosity now overcoming her discomfort. Buffy nodded and replied, "Just like that, I guess. Faith put Xander in charge of picking the restaurant and the movie, and he'll swing by to pick her up in his uncle's car in a couple of hours. Sounds pretty nice to me." She looked a little downcast, and Willow felt moved to ask, "What's wrong, Buffy?"  
  
The Slayer sighed, then replied, "I don't know. . .it's just that for all the time I was with Angel, and how much we cared about each other. . .we never had an evening like the one that Xander is going to have with Faith. Oh, we'd cuddle in a cemetery, or kiss through my window after Mom grounded me for some slaying-related offense, but we never really went out on a date type date. Even that stupid coffee thing we were going to do got screwed up by an ambush and my insecurity about Cordelia moving in on him. I told him that dating was something normal girls got to do. . .not Slayers. Now, I wonder if I was wrong, and if it was not that Slayers can't date, but that I can't."  
  
Willow could see that Buffy was hurting, and she reached out and squeezed her friends arm before saying, "Buffy, if things are calmed down enough so that she and Xander can have a night on the town without demonic interference, it's because you and Faith. . .with a little help from the rest of us. . .have cleaned this place up. The Mayor is dead, the Hellmouth is closed, and two of our friends are going to have a nice evening together. I say, good for them! Why shouldn't. . ." The redhead paused and frowned yet again, then looked at her visibly amused friend before continuing her thought in a rueful tone, ". . .wait a minute, wasn't I the one who was ticked off at this? How did I end up being a cheerleader for them?"  
  
Buffy grinned and replied, "Maybe it's that Xander is your friend, and that you want him to be happy. Maybe it's that you know that Faith has had a rough couple of months, and that you realize that a quiet evening with a great guy will do wonders for her psyche. Or maybe it's that Oz was a little annoyed at your reaction when Faith laid that kiss on Xander and if you slip up again, you might be without Oz-snugglebunnies for a while."  
  
Visibly annoyed, Willow replied, "Buffy Summers, I will not dignify that last comment with a response," before smiling ruefully and reaching for a textbook. "All right, fun is fun, but we've got some English homework that requires our serious attention. Let's get cracking."  
  
* * *  
  
  
Two hours later, the doorbell rang, and Buffy and Willow could hear Mrs. Summers go to the door and open it. They heard her exclaim, "Xander! You look wonderful. . .come in! The girls are in the kitchen." Buffy and Willow hurried out and saw Xander, who did indeed look good. He wore a dark blue jacket and slacks that fit him as if they had been custom made, and the shirt he wore complemented the outfit perfectly. Willow called out, "Xander. . .where did you get that? I've never seen you wear it before."  
  
Xander looked uncomfortable, then replied, "Uh. . .someone I know said he owed me a favor, so he took me to a few places last night and we picked this outfit out. . .it looks all right?"  
  
Buffy and Willow nodded in assent, then Buffy asked with a wicked grin, "Oh, Xander. . .who was your mysterious benefactor. . .surely you wouldn't mind telling us?"  
  
Xander glared at her, then mumbled something under his breath. Buffy put a hand to her ear and feigned deafness before goading, "I'm sorry, Xander, I didn't catch that. . .who was it?"  
  
"It was Angel, all right?" Xander snapped, looking trapped and embarrassed. "He came by and suggested that averting his being blown to smithereens was kind of a big favor, and that he had heard about my impending date and wanted to help out. I couldn't afford a decent suit, and my cousin's tux would be overkill . . .so I reluctantly accepted Dead Boy's help, OK? I don't want a lot of kidding about it. . .by the way, how did you guys find out what I was doing that night anyway?"  
  
Buffy grinned and replied, "Xander, it's difficult to do as much as you were involved in that night and not have someone notice. Between Faith and a lot of eyewitnesses around town, not to mention the bomb that Angel saw the janitors sneaking out of the building early that morning, it was not difficult to figure out that you didn't stay home watching TV that night. Sorry, Xander, you just have to live with the fact that we know you saved all of our butts that night, and that no matter how hard we try to prevent it, you find ways to nearly get yourself killed. At least if you go out with Faith, you'll have an effective bodyguard."  
  
Xander winced, then laughed hollowly before retorting, "Very funny, Buffy. It's nice to know that my sad excuse for a love life still provides amusement to you all." He looked over at Willow, who was watching him with a sad smile on her face. "Are you having problems with this, Willow? I think we can do without a repeat of the whole thing with Cordelia."  
  
Willow nodded and replied simply, "I just want you to be happy, Xander, and I think Faith could use some quiet time right now. Just be careful, OK?"  
  
Xander grinned and replied, "Don't get too concerned, Willow. It's just a simple, normal date tonight. . .nothing earthshaking. Still, on the whole, I'd say things are looking u-" He paused in mid-syllable and stared up the stairs with his jaw slightly slack. Puzzled, Willow and Buffy moved into position to see what Xander was looking at, and were startled at what they saw.  
  
Faith was standing at the top of the stairs, looking down at the transfixed Xander. She wore a black evening dress with translucent fabric loosely covering her arms: the rest of the dress flattered her curves while leaving a lot to the imagination. The dress was slit to the midpoint of her thighs, showing a view of legs that Xander and the others usually saw only in jeans. She wore a classic pair of black pumps, surprising Buffy, who had heard Faith bitching about how uncomfortable heels were ("If some guy thinks he's going to get me to wear those things, he's got another thing coming. I'll put up with a fairly substantial amount of crap to get laid, but those damned shoes aren't going to be one of them."). She had cut her hair to medium length and apparently done so at a good stylist: the hairdo framed her face perfectly, revealing light makeup that subtly enhanced her natural beauty. She was smiling softly, apparently waiting for comment, only to see that all three of her friends were staring at her, and that Xander seemed comatose.  
  
Faith walked up to Xander and waited impatiently for a long moment before asking, "Uh. . .Xander, do I look all right?" Xander remained silent, still staring, and Faith seemed to be getting exasperated until Buffy came to the rescue, commenting, "Generally, Faith, slack-jawed staring by the male of the species can be considered as a 'yes' to that question; however, it can be overdone." She walked over and nudged Xander in the ribs, breaking the spell. Xander blinked, looked Faith up and down slowly and deliberately, and managed to quietly reply, "Uh, Faith, I'd like to be able to say exactly how great you look, but as Buffy and Willow can tell you, the SAT proved that my vocabulary is not up to the job. . .but I think it can be summed up with. . .wow."  
  
Faith grinned and replied, "I'm glad you think so. . .and 'wow' is just fine, thank you. Are you ready to go?"  
  
Xander nodded and replied, "Your chariot is waiting outside, milady," as he bowed deeply. Faith actually giggled at the spectacle before looking over at Joyce, who had just walked up and was also obviously taken aback by the transformation of Buffy's friend. "I won't be too late, Mrs. Summers. Later, guys." She offered her arm to Xander, and he accepted it after waving to his friends and Joyce. They walked out, closing the door behind them. Joyce smiled and exclaimed, "My goodness, Faith really looked wonderful. . .I hope they have a nice time tonight." She went upstairs, leaving Buffy and Willow still looking at the closed front door.  
  
Willow recovered first, turning to Buffy and asking, "Well. . .now what?"  
  
The Slayer frowned, then replied, "I'm going to visit a certain vampire I know and let him reassure me of my attractiveness and dateworthiness for the next few hours. . .how about you?"  
  
Willow replied, "Ditto. . .but substitute werewolf for vampire." Relieved that neither of them was the only one feeling slightly insecure at the moment, they went to use the phone, ignoring the sound of the car pulling away outside.  
  
  
. . .to be continued  
  
As always, comments are welcomed and desired  
  
  
  



	2. Part II

Part II  
  
Faith grinned as the air rushed past them in the convertible. She had never ridden in one before (except for Xander driving her to the motel after she dispatched that nasty Apocalypse demon), and she was seriously enjoying the experience. She looked over at Xander, who seemed to be at ease as he drove towards the restaurant. He looked different, somehow. She grinned at him and asked, "When did you get to be so cool?"  
  
Xander smiled mysteriously at her and replied, "Somehow, it just seems right now." He paused a moment, then elaborated, "After convincing the leader of the world's first zombie street gang to defuse the bomb that was two seconds away from blowing us all into chunky salsa, somehow the world seems like a more comfortable place to be in, you know?" Abruptly, his face went serious again and he continued, "Also, it seems a certain Slayer took the time out of her busy schedule to let me know I wasn't the loser I was thinking I was at that moment. . .I know I said it before, but it bears repeating: thank you, Faith."  
  
Faith was silent for a long moment, and Xander looked at her with concern. "Are you O.K.? Did I say the wrong thing?"  
  
Faith looked at him with a rueful expression and replied, "No. . .it's just that I'm not used to anything I say meaning a damn. I spent the first sixteen years of my life in a situation where no one cared what I said or did. . .then I became a Slayer, and suddenly stuff I did was important, and no one much cared what I said or thought except. . ." She paused and Xander turned back to her, only to see her shrug and comment, "Well, anyway, thanks for telling me that. . .it means a lot. We can't have Cordelia taking cheap shots at you, can we?"  
  
Xander was silent, and Faith saw his expression and decided it was her turn: "What's the matter?"  
  
Xander sighed and replied, "I just don't feel right about taking shots at Cordelia. . it's one thing when she's actually there and giving as good as she gets, and I got a kick out of giving her an enigmatic smile and walking off after I beat Jack and his gang. . .but, let's face it, I cheated on her. She has a right to be pissed off at me. . .at least she hasn't gone psycho on me like Angelus did on Buffy. . .I ought to be grateful."  
  
Faith snorted and replied, "That's a lot of crap, Xander. I've heard the whole story, and you and Willow were both trying to deal with it. . .Spike showing up and kidnapping you just totally screwed up the whole thing. Both of you ran right back to your significant others and tried to fix things: Willow was just more lucky when Oz decided to take her back. . .yeah, Cordelia had a right to be pissed off, but she's just been nasty. How many times have you saved her ass? That ought to count for something, you know?"  
  
Xander nodded, and commented, "Yeah, I know. But she's actually come through herself a few times, you know. She saved Buffy by bluffing Lyle Gorch on Homecoming Night, and Willow and Miss Calendar would have died the night Buffy died if she hadn't shown up and driven into the school with her car. . .wish I could have seen that one." He smiled and concluded, "Anyway, don't think you have to take shots at Cordelia to make me happy. . .just being here with you is doing that just fine."  
  
Faith felt a flush of warmth at the compliment, and she smiled at him, noticing the faint flush of his own as she watched. She noticed he was driving with one hand, and she reached out and gently squeezed his right hand as they approached the movie theater. She saw his smile, and she echoed it with one of her own as they pulled into the parking lot.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
Four hours later, they were driving to the restaurant where they had ten o-clock reservations. "Titanic" had been playing in the local fifth-run theater, and Faith had never seen it before. She had been moved by the whole thing, as sappy as the love story was.  
  
"It's weird. . .I'm just not used to thinking that long term, you know? Can you imagine holding on to that kind of love for eighty-five years?. . .I'm happy if I can make plans that work out for next week, you know?" She paused when she saw Xander tense, and she immediately realized that she had screwed up. "Oh, hell, Xander, I'm sorry. . .you're probably not too thrilled at thinking about the whole Slayer life expectancy thing. . .particularly after almost losing Buffy all those times."  
  
Xander nodded, and turned to her and met her eyes as he elaborated, "Almost losing you a couple of times kind of sucked too, you know?" Moved by the sincerity in his eyes, she nodded as he continued, "I guess I started thinking about Angel, too. Except for a few months last year, he's been living that whole life without hope thing for a hundred years. . .makes me wonder if I've been a jackass for treating him the way I have. . .and that just throws my whole world into turmoil, you know?"  
  
Faith nodded, and thought about how she had casually decided to eliminate Angel when she found out he was back. . .and what that would have done to Buffy. She nodded and replied, "Mine too, I guess. We don't have to tell him, do we? I really hate the whole groveling apology thing."  
  
Xander grinned, and whispered, "I won't tell him if you won't." They both laughed as they pulled into the restaurant parking lot and walked into the reception area. The head waiter escorted them to their table, and more than a few pairs of male eyes followed Faith as the two of them were seated. Faith had not missed the scrutiny, and was moved to chuckle and comment, "You'd think they never saw a girl before."  
  
Xander laughed and replied, "Faith, you're pretty damned attractive even wearing what you usually do. . .in that dress, I'm just glad you didn't cause half a dozen traffic accidents on the way over here." Faith smiled at the compliment, though there was an odd sadness in her eyes. Xander noted the ambivalence, and took a moment to scrutinize the dress in question. He smiled and asked, "So, what did you do. . .blow your life savings on that dress?. . .if so, I'm terribly flattered, though you didn't have to go to that much trouble. . .but thank you, thank you, thank you."  
  
Faith giggled at the terribly earnest expression on Xander's face, then she sobered and looked down at the table for a long moment before looking up at Xander and replying, "No. . .I've had this dress all along. . .Amanda made it for me." Noticing the puzzled look on Xander's face, she quickly elaborated, "Amanda Davis. . .my first Watcher."  
  
Xander saw the sad look in her eyes, and remembered what Buffy had told him about how Faith's Watcher had been killed by Kakistos. After a moment of silence, Xander was about to say something when the waitress came. Xander and Faith quietly ordered their meals, and when the waitress departed, Xander leaned in to Faith with a sympathetic expression on his face and asked, "Faith, it's none of my business, but if you want to talk about her, I'm here."  
  
For the first time, Xander saw Faith completely without the armor of humor and callousness that she used to defend herself against the rest of the world: he was startled at just how vulnerable she looked as she whispered, "Xander, you can't imagine what it was like. When I became a Slayer, and Amanda found me and told me what I was and what I would be doing, suddenly for the first time in my life there was someone who cared what I did, what I thought, what I felt. After we'd finish a nightly patrol, we'd talk for hours until we fell asleep. . .it just felt right. She made the dress for me on her own. . .when I asked her why, she told me that all young ladies should have a dress like this one, so that they could stand proud in front of the world and dazzle anyone who cared to look." She smiled and commented, "It's not as fragile as it looks, either. She made it out of some pretty tough fabric, and added a few hiding places for some. . .necessities." She motioned for Xander to look under the table, and when he did she lifted the hem of her dress to reveal sheathed daggers hidden underneath along her thighs.  
  
Xander laughed and commented, "I love a practical woman." He looked into her eyes, and commented sadly, "I'm so sorry you had to lose her, Faith."  
  
Faith smiled sadly, and Xander could see the haunted look in her eyes as she replied, "I appreciate that. . .I just wish I could make the dreams go away." Xander was startled to see a hint of tears in her eyes: he had never seen her so sad. "That bastard Kakistos and five of his thugs caught Amanda and me. . .he decided that he would make me watch as he killed her slowly. She never so much as gasped during the whole time. . .she just locked eyes with me and let me know what she expected of me. . .and I just lost it. I don't remember much of what happened after that, except gouging that bastard's eye out. I escaped and ran like hell, only stopping at her house long enough to pick up some things I needed. . .including this dress. It's the only thing I have left from her. . .I suppose you think it's a little silly."  
  
Xander reached out and squeezed her hand, responding, "Faith, she clearly cared a lot about you. . . this whole thing with the Council of Watchers screwing over Buffy and sending that jerk Wesley to be your Watcher could tend to make you forget it, but I've read enough Watcher's diaries in the course of long and painful research to know that most Watchers love their Slayers as if they were their own children. . .amazing that that idiot Travers never clued in on that. I've seen Giles with Buffy, and I know where he is coming from. . .I'm sure she felt that way about you."  
  
Faith looked down at the table and replied, "Yeah, I guess. . .I just can't help feeling I let her down. . .I always wonder how she'd feel about what I'm doing. . ."  
  
Xander looked sad for a moment, then responded, "I can't tell you that for sure, Faith. I wish I could tell what people who aren't. . .here any more would think, because there are a couple of people that I wish I could have done better by. . .Jesse, Miss Calendar. . .but I can't, and I just have to hope that they'd understand why I did things the way I did." He squeezed her hand again and continued, "But I know how the rest of us feel about it, Faith. You've come through for us, and I'd like to think that you're beginning to trust us. We want you here. . .I want you here."  
  
Faith smiled softly and commented, "You're really good at this, Xander. . .why didn't you use this approach during your infamous bar-cruising days? You could have had some of those babes eating out of your hand."  
  
Xander looked embarrassed, then bowed his head slightly and replied in a lofty tone, "Like you, Faith, I have sworn to use my powers only for the side of goodness, not for deep and dark purposes such as the pickup line." He managed to keep a straight face for a full five seconds, then began laughing softly. Faith grinned and began laughing herself, and this continued until their meals arrived. They both smiled and began to dig in.  
  
*****  
  
Buffy and Willow had finished studying, and were quietly exchanging rumors they'd heard at school when someone knocked at the door. Since Joyce had retired for the evening, Buffy went to the door and opened it, smiling when she saw Giles before frowning and asking, "What's the matter? Do we have to save the world again? This gets old kind of quickly."  
  
Giles smiled gently and replied, "No apocalypse tonight, Buffy, just . . .some surprising news." He glanced around and asked, "Is Faith here?"  
  
Buffy quickly repressed a momentary surge of annoyance that Giles had come here to see Faith instead of her, then remembered that it had been her idea for the younger Slayer to move into her house in the first place. She smiled ruefully and replied, "Sorry, Giles. . .she's out on a hot date. . .with Xander."  
  
Giles blinked twice, then managed to respond, "I. . .see." After a moment, he sighed and commented, "Better Xander than some local misfit. . .he knows to handle her delicately." He saw the look that the two young women gave him and amended, "I mean conversationally. . .Faith has been through a lot, and Xander knows it." He nodded and concluded, "Very well. Tell Faith I stopped by and that I need to speak with her in the morning."  
  
Giles was turning away to leave when Buffy noticed the legal sized envelope in his hand and asked, "Giles, what's in the envelope?"  
  
Giles frowned and replied, "Buffy, it's a matter that concerns Faith. . .it would be unethical for me to inform you of it before I am able to tell her about it."  
  
Buffy frowned and replied, "That's a lot of crap, Giles. Whatever is in that envelope was important enough for you to come out here at almost midnight when you became aware of it, rather than waiting until morning or calling over here to leave a message for her. We've all been big players in the 'keep Faith on the mend' project, and anything as apparently important as what's in that envelope is something that we should know about right now." She turned to her best friend and asked, "Right, Willow?"  
  
"Right!" Willow responded, elaborating no further but assuming what both recognized as her "resolve face." Buffy grinned and looked back at Giles, who sighed elaborately and moved to sit down, with the curious Buffy and Willow moving to sit across from him on the couch. He removed the letter contained in the envelope, and began to explain: "This letter was forwarded to Faith in care of me from a law firm in Boston. . .apparently the Council is rather sloppy about updating such matters. It involves the settlement of the living trust left by Amanda Davis. . .Faith's first Watcher." He noted the puzzled looks on Buffy and Willow's faces, and explained, "A living trust is a legal device designed to bypass the lengthy procedures of probate law when a person dies, so that his or her heirs come into possession of the deceased person's estate far more quickly. It seems that Ms. Davis provided for Faith in the trust."  
  
Buffy was surprised at this: she knew from some things she had read in Watcher's diaries and a question or two to Giles that generally Watchers either left their assets to family or, if they had none, to the Council itself. It was more a matter of realism than anything: with the life expectancy of a Slayer, what was the point of leaving one property that they would not live to inherit? She nodded and replied, "She must have had a lot of confidence in Faith to do that. . .well, how much are we talking about here? I've seen the way you Watcher types dress. . .it can't be that much, can it?"  
  
Giles silently handed the letter to Buffy and Willow, and they both read it. Remarkably, it was written in completely clear and understandable text, and it only took a minute or so for both to reach the crucial subject matter of the letter. Buffy blinked, and audibly gasped, but was unable to manage a verbal response. She turned to her articulate best friend, and only had to wait a few seconds before Willow moved her lips and managed a concise, whispered response to the news:  
  
"Holy shit."  
  
  
*****  
  
  
The meal had mostly passed in silence, with both diners occasionally sneaking covert glances at the other, looking away when their scrutiny seemed to be noticed. The stalemate might have continued substantially longer if a familiar voice hadn't drifted over from several tables away: "I'm glad to see at least one guy in this town knows the importance of proper accessorizing, Jeremy. You wouldn't believe some of the losers I've had to deal with in the past."  
  
Faith saw the hurt look in Xander's eyes as he heard Cordelia's nasty comment, and her first impulse was to walk over and clock the taller brunette a good one. Realizing that Xander would frown on that approach, she thought a moment before a nasty smile appeared on her face. Raising her voice to a level that would be clearly audible at Cordelia's table, she purred, "Oh, Xander, I've had the most wonderful time tonight. I can't imagine why I've let you slip out of my grasp for as long as I have." She shifted her position slightly so that she would be in full view of Cordelia, then watched the former May Queen out of the corner of her eye to gauge her reaction.  
  
Cordelia was annoyed. Xander had to be at this very restaurant on the very night that she was trying to move on after their breakup? She was glad he probably had heard what she said. . .maybe it would give him a taste of what she had gone through. She turned to give a contemptuous look to Xander's dinner companion, only to be startled by the beautiful woman in the dress that even her Daddy wouldn't have coughed up the bucks to provide Cordelia with. * Where in the hell did he find her. . .I know he's too broke to afford an escort service just to piss me off. . .omigod it's Faith! * In an instant, all of her insecurities about Buffy. . .and now Faith, rushed back, and she felt dizzy for a long moment. She quickly recovered, but she could not resist glancing back at the Slayer every few seconds while Jeremy droned on about the long concluded football season.  
  
Faith saw Cordelia turn white for a moment, and felt a nasty moment of inner triumph. She saw the older woman look away, but saw that she was still glancing back at Faith and Xander's table occasionally. Faith decided to raise the ante and was leaning across the table with the intention of giving Xander one hell of a kiss when Xander interrupted her train of thought by whispering pointedly, "What are you doing, Faith?"  
  
Faith paused and replied silkily, "I think it's pretty obvious, Xander. I'm going to kiss you and seriously piss off your ex over there."  
  
Xander nodded and replied in a whisper, "Faith, just don't."  
  
Faith blinked, and quickly sat down: she looked hurt, and Xander knew he had some more damage control to do as he leaned in and asked, "Faith, if Cordelia hadn't been here, would you have done any of what you just did?"  
  
Faith thought about it for a moment, then replied, "I really have had a wonderful time, and I am starting to wonder why I didn't chase you down the moment Cordelia cut you loose, but I wouldn't have been leaning over the table to kiss you, no. . .and I wouldn't have broadcast it to the room, either."  
  
Xander smiled: it was better than he had thought it would be. He locked eyes with her and responded, "All right, then. I'm positively thrilled that you enjoyed yourself, and at this moment I wish you had tracked me down. . .but, Faith, I'm here tonight because I wanted to spend an evening with you, not to make Cordelia jealous or upset. She probably had that shock coming after that nasty comment she made, but anything after that is just overkill. . .if I just wanted to make her jealous, I would have scrounged up some cash and hired some hot looking escort. . .I wouldn't have used one of my friends, who just happens to be more spectacular than any escort I could hope to hire." He grasped her hand again and concluded, "Faith, I'm here for you tonight. Cordelia isn't even on my radar screen."  
  
Faith smiled, and drew his hand to her mouth, where she kissed it softly before releasing it. Xander looked at her, causing her to comment, "Don't worry. . .I definitely wanted to do that for my own sake, Xander. If it annoyed Cordelia, that was just a bonus." Xander shook his head and grinned for a moment as the check arrived, and Faith excused herself for a trip to the restroom. When she emerged, Xander was involved in settling the bill, and Faith decided to wait outside while he concluded matters. The night was cool, but not uncomfortably so, and she was actually enjoying looking up at the stars while she walked towards Xander's car when she heard a harsh voice snap: "So, if it isn't the little bitch who decided to screw up how things are run in this town."  
  
Faith sighed, and turned around to see. . .that little wimp who worked for the Mayor? What was his name. . oh yeah, Alan Finch. She snorted contemptuously and replied, "Little wusses who used to do the Mayor's dirty work while putting on an innocent act probably shouldn't piss off the Slayer when she's out on the town. Run along, little man. . .just because Slayers aren't allowed to kill humans doesn't mean I won't beat the crap out of you if you mess up my date."  
  
Finch looked smug, and Faith only had a moment to process that before the Deputy Mayor replied, "Oh, there's good news and bad news on that, you little bitch. The good news is, I'm not human any more." His face morphed into vampiric form, and Faith had only a moment's regret at another human being killed in this town before remembering this human's complicity with evil and retorting sardonically, "Well. . .isn't this interesting? So, what's the bad news?"  
  
Finch grinned and whistled sharply, bringing four vampires out of hiding that quickly moved to surround the Slayer. He chuckled and commented, "The bad news is that you aren't going to live long enough to finish that date. . .sorry."  
  
  
. . .to be continued  
  
As always, comments are welcomed and desired  
  
  
  



	3. Part III

Part III  
  
Faith cursed inwardly at the odds against her: five on one was a little steep if these guys were any good at all, particularly since the dress and those damned shoes would slow her down somewhat. However, her feelings were not of fear but of utter fury: how dare these dirtbags screw up her date? She smiled coldly and replied, "Do you boys really want to mess with me? You know my reputation. . .I won't just stake you. I'll make it hurt for a good long time. . .besides, my boyfriend's on the way, and he doesn't like vampires very much, either."  
  
Finch laughed, and the other vamps laughed with him. Noticing her startled expression, Finch looked at her contemptuously and commented, "Did you think we didn't know about you, Slayer? Picking up men in bars or on the street, having your way with them and tossing them out on their ear? Some of them have been turned, you know, and you wouldn't believe what they had to say. . .it makes me shudder a little." He met her gaze, and in spite of herself Faith began to feel completely embarrassed by her prior behavior as he commented, "You would never let any man close enough to you to be considered a boyfriend. . .so tell me, Slayer, where is this mythical boyfriend?"  
  
Abruptly, one of the vampires gasped and burst into dust, revealing Xander, jacketless and carrying a stake and a vial of holy water. He met the eyes of the startled Finch and called out, "That would be me, dickhead." The vampire nearest to him quickly moved over, only to get holy water in his eyes and a stake in his heart. Xander looked dismissively at the dust that the two vampires had left, and called out, "Anyone else?"  
  
Finch sighed in annoyance and called out to the remaining two vampires, "You two take out the Slayer: she'll be slowed down by her fashion ensemble. I'll handle the boy here." He moved slowly and menacingly towards Xander, while the other two vamps cautiously approached Faith. Abruptly, Faith leaped six feet straight up, doing a somersault in the air and pulling off her shoes. Startled, the vampires paused as Faith landed on her feet, tossed the shoes away, and knocked one of them on his ass with a right cross. With lightning speed, she drew a stake from where it was concealed under her right sleeve and assumed a cold, cold smile as she called out, "Cinderella's home from the ball, guys, and she's seriously pissed off." With that, she moved into the fight with that smile still on her face.  
  
Xander could see that Faith was doing all right, but he had no spare attention to give to her status. Finch might have been a wimp when he was alive, he mused, but he packed a nasty punch as one of the undead. He concentrated on fighting defensively, hoping that Faith could finish off her two opponents and come to lend him a hand. Sensing this, Finch started taunting Xander. "Was some slut of a Slayer the best you could do, Harris? We were watching you, too. Cordelia Chase, Willow Rosenburg. . .some of the best this town has to offer, and you're with Faith now? How pathetic is that?"  
  
Xander knew what the vampire was doing, and why, but suddenly, it just didn't matter any more. Dropping his defensive stance, he began throwing roundhouse punches that struck home, staggering the vampire. Xander pressed his advantage, only to have Finch slip through his guard and seize him by the throat. "So predictable. . .so, you do care about her. Oh well, I guess it doesn't really matter now, does it?" The vampire began to squeeze, and Xander's world began to grey out. From what sounded like a distance, he could hear footsteps coming up quickly from behind him, but he knew that whoever it was wouldn't get there in time to. . .  
  
Abruptly, the pressure ceased as Finch burst into dust with a loud scream. Faith stood in front of him, with a look of concern on her face. Xander sighed in relied and commented, "So I wasn't imagining it when I heard someone running up behind me. Thanks, Faith."  
  
The Slayer replied, "Not a problem, but it wasn't me you heard." She pointed behind him, and Xander turned to see Cordelia standing ten feet behind him, a stake in her hand. She looked as if she wanted to find a hiding place from the shocked look that Xander was giving her. He turned back to Faith, who sighed patiently and suggested, "You might want to have a word with her, Xander. I'll be busy finding my shoes." She walked away, and Xander walked up to the visibly mortified Cordelia and commented, "Cordelia, you can put the stake away now." As she did so, Xander shook his head and asked, "Cordy, what were you thinking? Running at a bunch of crazed vampires with a stake? That's a pretty good way to get killed."  
  
Cordelia snorted and replied, "You're one to talk, Spaz boy. I followed you out of the restaurant because I wanted to yell at you and your. . .date for messing up my evening, and I saw you sneaking over with that stake and holy water. Now, there was no way I was going to mess up my hair and dress just to help you two losers. . .but then that vamp had you by the throat, and well. . .there was no way I was going to let you die without letting me tell you just how pissed off I am at you!"  
  
Xander sighed: vintage Cordelia. He folded his arms and replied, "All right then, Cordelia. You've certainly earned it. Tell me what a cheating bastard I am, and how I was never good enough for you. Tell me whatever else is on your mind. The floor is yours, Miss Chase."  
  
Cordelia glared at him for a long moment, then grated out, "Damn you, Xander. You know I can't stay mad at you when you're like this. . .you're in your damn White Knight mode, coming to the rescue even for a damned Slayer, for God's sake. I always thought I'd lose you to Buffy. . .then Willow came into the picture and I never saw it coming until it was too late. . .I wish I had never seen you two together. . .it's just such a hassle breaking in a new boyfriend." She sighed, and concluded, "But there it is. . .and I'm getting the impression even if I were to lose my mind again and take you back, you've already moved on." She glanced over to where the Slayer was cursing at the difficulty she was having finding her right shoe, and turned back and asked him, "Was that vampire right? Do you have feelings for her?"  
  
Xander looked down for a moment and replied, "Yeah, Cordelia, I do." He looked at her and asked quietly, "I am sorry about how things turned out between us. . .can we call a truce? I miss seeing you around, and the library just hasn't been the same without you there."  
  
Cordelia snorted, but Xander could see the softening look in her eyes as she replied, "As if I wanted to go back to spending my free time hanging out in a dusty library with the school outcasts. . .but I might stop in now and again. . .since it's good to know if the world is about to come to an end so I can accessorize properly." Xander saw the smile in her eyes as she nodded at him, then walked back to the restaurant.   
  
Xander heard Faith coming up behind him, and turned to face her, an amused smile on his face as he asked, "So, I'm your boyfriend now, am I?"  
  
Faith gave him a look that combined annoyance and embarrassment, then replied, "I was just trying to throw them off of their game. . .but as I said it, it felt right somehow." She moved up to him and put her arms around his neck as she asked, "How does it sound to you?"  
  
Xander thought for a moment, then replied, "It feels right to me too. . .after all, we seem to make a good team. . .and I'm used to being teased about my crappy love life, so I guess that the reason I got pissed off was that he was taking shots at you. . .go figure, huh?"  
  
Faith smiled, mischief dancing in her eyes, and leaned in to kiss him. Xander prepared himself for a ferocious kiss of the kind she had given him under mind control, but instead it was a soft, tender kiss, full of affection with only a tantalizing hint of lust. Xander tingled from head to toe, and when he looked at Faith he could tell that she had a similar reaction. She looked at him and replied, "Yeah, go figure." She glanced down and swore when she noted a long tear along the right sleeve of her dress.  
  
Xander felt a moment of sadness when he remembered the significance of the dress to Faith, and quickly reassured her, "Faith, don't worry. Mrs. Summers has been a Slayer's mother for three years now: the one thing she can definitely do is repair battle-damaged fashion wear."  
  
Faith chuckled and replied, "Yeah, you're right. . .It's just that I've waited so long to wear this, and now after one night out on the town in Sunnydale it's messed up. . .doesn't seem right somehow." She turned to him and commented, "We'd better get back, Xander. It's almost midnight. . .and I did promise Buffy's mom not to be too late."  
  
Xander nodded, and they drove back to the Summers' house in relative silence, though occasionally a sidelong glance would produce a slight smile from the other, and Faith would occasionally playfully run a finger down Xander's right side, causing him to tingle and feel profoundly grateful for the lack of heavy traffic as they drove through the quiet night.  
  
*****  
  
Giles, Willow and Buffy were still sitting and talking when they heard the key in the door and saw Faith and Xander walk in quietly. Not noticing the occupants of the living room, Xander reached over to Faith, and they started a long, lingering kiss as their friends squirmed, caught between the desire not to interrupt and the embarrassment of being inadvertently made voyeurs. At length, they broke apart, and Giles seized the opportunity to clear his throat. They turned slowly and noticed their three friends, and both colored slightly before moving into the living room. Buffy smiled and commented, "The date went well, I gather."  
  
Xander smiled and replied, "Definitely. . .though there were a few complications." He indicated Faith's torn sleeve and a bruise or two that he had picked up, and raised his hands to forestall a flood of questions as he explained, "That Finch guy who worked for the Mayor had started a new gig as a vampire, and him and four of his buddies decided to put the hurt on Faith. . .big mistake. Scratch five vamps."  
  
Giles smiled, pleased that Faith and Xander had not let a nasty incident ruin their evening, not to mention that five vampires was a good night's work even for Faith. He nodded and commented, "Well done, both of you. Xander, we have to discuss some business with Faith. . .and you must be exhausted. Could you come by tomorrow for a more thorough discussion of what happened?"  
  
Xander's face fell a little, and he was turning to leave when Faith slipped her right arm into the crook of his left arm, stopping his departure. She gave Giles a nasty look and replied, "Xander took out two of those vamps all by his lonesome, and held off a third until I finished the other two off. . .you might want to be a little less dismissive of his ability to kick some ass from now on. And anything you want to say to me, you can say in front of him. . .particularly since Buffy and Willow seem to know what's going on here, too."  
  
Giles could see the anger in Faith's eyes, and he made a mental note to see just how far Xander's combat abilities had progressed as he replied, "You're right, Faith, I'm sorry. Why don't you two sit down, and I'll explain why I'm here." Faith sat down, the anger on her face changing to curiosity, and Xander sat beside her, clasping her right hand as Giles explained the letter he had received from the Boston law firm.  
  
Faith listened as Giles explained what a living trust was, then commented, "I never even thought about whether she might have left me anything. . .she lived in a nice house, but she didn't throw money around, and I thought the house might have been something the Council had set her up in. . .wow, that was really great of her. . .so what are we talking about here, a few thousand bucks? That might be enough to perk up my wardrobe a bit. . .or maybe to get me my own set of wheels."  
  
Giles handed her the letter, and pointed to the part that described Faith's interest in the trust. Her eyes bugged out for a moment, and her lips moved silently for a moment before she looked up at Giles and asked, "What is this, some kind of sick joke? Those jokers at the law firm must have added a few zeroes."  
  
Giles shook his head and replied, "No, Faith. Apparently Amanda Davis was the sole heir of a major mining company executive who had left her everything he owned some years after she became a Watcher. She has no living relatives." He took the letter from her limp hand and explained, "There are two parts to this. The $10,000,000 mentioned here is left to you outright: if you die it would go to whoever the law would consider to be your heirs-probably whatever relatives you have left in Boston-unless you make a will and designate other beneficiaries. The other $100,000,000 is to be invested by the trustees, and you will receive the income for the rest of your life, after which the principal goes to the Council of Watchers. . .I knew Amanda reasonably well, and she believed very strongly in the cause: that money would clearly help the Council do its work. However, it is very clear that she also believed in you, Faith, and wanted you to live well when she was gone."  
  
Xander felt Faith tense, and turned to her with concern. She looked shocked, but abruptly her face turned blank, then a sly expression appeared on her face. She looked at Giles and asked, "So those clods on the Council would really like to get their hands on that cash, right?" Giles nodded and Faith continued, "And they can't touch it until I buy the farm. . .or if I give the say-so, right?" Giles nodded again and was surprised that Faith had reasoned correctly: the life beneficiary could agree to forgo their interest, leaving the principal immediately available to the later designated beneficiary. Faith smiled wickedly and commented, "Good. Giles, give the Council a ring and tell them that I have a business proposition for them."  
  
Giles looked at the younger Slayer strangely, but hastened to dial the number. Buffy looked at Faith's expression and commented, "You've got something nasty in mind, don't you? You going to let us in on it, or what?"  
  
Faith grinned, and gently squeezed Xander's hand as she replied, "I'm going to make those stuffy bastards an offer that they could refuse. . .but they won't like what happens if they do." She reached out for the receiver, and as she began to speak to the drowsy Watcher at the other end of the line, the others in the room realized that she was in complete control, and that it was a truly scary sight.  
  
*****  
  
Two hours later, it was all settled, and Giles was visibly dazed. Giles would be reinstated as Field Watcher, effective immediately. The Council would launch a full-scale investigation of the events surrounding Buffy's Cruciamentum, taking the time to question all potential witnesses. Finally, the Council agreed to assign two full time personnel to Sunnydale to handle communications with the Council and assist with research: Faith had agreed to accept Wesley in that capacity, as the little weasel seemed to know his books. In exchange, Faith agreed to dissolve the trust immediately: she would keep one-fourth of the money, while the Council would receive the other $75,000,000.  
  
The Council had not caved immediately, of course. Given the life expectancy of Slayers, the Council could expect to get the whole $100,000,000 in short order in any event. However, when Faith hinted that with her own share of the money she could retire to Tahiti in style, greatly extending her life expectancy, the Council got down to haggling, and conceded to most of Faith's demands gracefully. Giles was the major sticking point, but as he was acting de facto as the Field Watcher anyway, they decided that there was little reason not to put him back into that position formally while they launched a wider investigation. There would be time to put the now rather wealthy Slayer in her place. . .later.  
  
Giles left after a few more moments, congratulating Faith and shaking his head in bewilderment at the events of that night. Willow went with him, stopping to give Faith a warm hug and also congratulating her on her good fortune. Buffy, yawning, grinned at Faith and told her to prepare for a very long talk in the morning, then told Xander good night and went upstairs to bed. Finding himself alone with Faith, he turned to her with not a little trepidation in his heart and asked, "So, do I still measure up as boyfriend material now that you are a woman of leisure?"  
  
Faith looked at him appraisingly, silently examining him as Xander felt a drop of cold sweat drip down his cheek. She drawled, "Well, I don't know. . .let's check and see." She leaned in, and this time, the kiss they shared was hungry and very passionate. After a moment, she pulled back, and Xander could see the laughter in her eyes as she whispered, "Definitely."  
  
  
*****  
  
Epilogue  
  
Eight months later  
  
Spike, with great effort, ignored Harmony's whining as he looked over the report that his assistant had handed him. The Gem had to be here, somewhere close. . .and when he had it. . .the Slayer and her friends would be history. He had heard that the second Slayer had set up camp here too, but the Gem would make that rather dangerous situation not much of a problem at all. He was frowning at the report when he heard a loud commotion in the larger cave just outside the small one he was in. He moved to the opening and looked out. . .and was shocked at what he saw.  
  
There were about twenty-five vampires helping Spike in his expedition-the thought of an invulnerable boss appeals to an amazing number of vamps, considering how often minions get staked by annoyed master vampires-and all of them were currently in the large cave. . .and they were getting utterly trashed by the dozen intruders who had come in through the main entrance.  
  
They were dressed in dark camouflage outfits, and from the way claws and teeth seemed to be skimming off of them, they were probably made of Kevlar, mused Spike as he watched the carnage. Seven of the raiding party were carrying guns, and while Spike watched, flame shot from one of them, reducing a vampire to a torch, and then to dust. A vampire got into close quarters with one of the gun-toting intruders, only to have the would-be victim flip a switch on the gun and douse the unfortunate vamp with holy water, leaving him easy prey for the stake that soon followed. Spike looked over all of the intruders. . .most were men, but two of them. . .one was a dark-eyed brunette who was gleefully staking any vamp who came near her, and the other. . .those eyes that had taunted him in his dreams for years now. . .Buffy.  
  
He saw the two Slayers look up at him, and as the look of surprise on Buffy's face quickly turned predatory, Spike felt a sudden chill. He grabbed the uncomprehending Harmony and muttered, "Time to take off, Harm," as he quickly led her out of the back entrance and dashed for the hidden place where his car was parked. * Damn, I knew that bitch would be trouble if she ever got some funding * As he drove the still complaining Harmony out of Sunnydale, he decided that vendetta or not, he was damned. . .again. . .if he was ever coming back to this stinking town again.  
  
Back in the cave, the last of the vamps was reduced to dust, and Buffy called out, "Everyone all right?" Xander pulled off his mask and replied, "All present and accounted for, ma'am." Riley looked over at Forrest and the others, who all nodded, and replied, "We're all OK, Buffy. Those new weapons worked like a charm. . .but I think Professor Walsh would have wanted a prisoner."  
  
Buffy sighed and commented, "Look, vamps aren't great conversationalists, and we already know how to kill them. . .you guys don't need to reinvent the wheel. Besides, part of the deal is that we call the shots on how to deal with the vamps and other demon types we help you kill. . .right, Faith?"  
  
Faith, who had been contemplating the paper she needed to finish for the English class she was taking at Sunnydale Junior College, replied, "Damn straight, Buffy. They provide the extra firepower, we provide know-how. . .and I chip in some extra dough to makeup for what government cutbacks have done to your funding. . .sounds like a pretty fair deal to me. Don't you agree, Riley?"  
  
Riley held his hands up in a motion of surrender and replied, "All right, I give, I give." He turned to Xander and grinned, asking, "How do you manage to keep up with her, Xander? I'm kind of new with the whole dating-a-Slayer thing." He turned and smiled at Buffy, who had the good grace to blush slightly and turn away.  
  
Xander turned and looked at Faith as he contemplated the contents of a small velvet box in his front pocket, then replied, "Actually, I don't. . .but the effort is sure worth while." As he moved over to Faith and kissed her, thinking of the dinner he had planned for the next evening and wondering at his good fortune, he realized that he didn't have a clue about what the future would bring for him, for Faith, or for any of his friends, but that for the first time that he could remember, he was positive that everything would turn out for the best. Comforted by the thought, he departed the cave with the others without so much as a look back.  
  
  
As always, comments are welcomed and desired  
  
  
  



End file.
